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Correspondence of Daniel Alden Reed, attorney and football player of Dunkirk, Chautauqua County, New York, “All American” left guard for Cornell University, written prior to becoming a U.S. Congressman, 1892-1909

221 letters, 1064 manuscript pp., (121 retained mailing envelopes); letters dated 10 May 1892 to 20 June 1926; the bulk date from 1892 to 1909 and only 2 letters written after 1909, those being from 1911 and 1926.

The collection
consists of 221 letters comprising 1,064 manuscript pages; 21 of which are not
dated.

The
collection includes 109 outgoing letters written by Daniel A. Reed, of which
101 were written by Reed to his wife Georgia Tickner Reed. He wrote 2 letters
to his brother-in-law B. Clifford Ticker; with the remaining 6 letters written
to his parents, or his children, aunts and uncles, etc. Only one letter from
1926 was written while he was a sitting U.S. Congressman. A large portion of
the letters were written in 1904 to 1909 when Reed worked in Albany for the
State of New York State Department of Excise and his fiancé, later wife, was
living in Dunkirk, New York.

There
are 95 incoming letters to Daniel A. Reed. Reed’s wife Georgia Tickner Reed, wrote
7, the rest were written by his parents, aunts, uncles, and other family
members, as well as some female friends (Ethel, Beatrice, Grace) prior to his
marriage and, some Cornell University classmates. He receives several
congratulatory letters on his election as captain of the Cornell football team
in 1899. A large number of letters were written to Reed by his “Aunt Ellie” of
Sheridan, New York. Most of these incoming letters are written to Reed before
he married (1892-1904).

There
are an additional 17 miscellaneous letters, 8 of which were written to B.
Clifford Ticker, the brother of Georgia Tickner Reed, and were written by his
mother, grandparents, or others; and there are 3 letters written to Georgia
Tickner Reed by her mother, or her friend Edith, of Schenectady, New York. The
remaining 3 miscellaneous letters were written by friends, or family of Reed.

The
correspondence of Daniel A. Reed and his wife dates mainly from the period of
1904 to 1909. Reed married Georgia Tickner in October 1905. The bulk of these
letters were written while Reed was in Albany working for the State of New York
Department of Excise office, and his wife and family were back home in Dunkirk,
New York. Earlier letters in the collection from 1892 to 1899 are mainly
incoming letters to Daniel A. Reed and a number of them concern his football
playing and coaching career at Cornell. These earlier letters also include many
written by his Aunt Ellie and perhaps some early female admirers. There are
only a couple of letters that are post 1909, one from 1911, and a lone letter from
1926 when he was a sitting U.S. Congressman.

Daniel Alden Reed (1875-1959)

Daniel
A. Reed was a U.S. Representative from New York. He was born in Sheridan,
Chautauqua County, New York, on 5 September 1875, the son of Anson William Reed
(1835-1892) and Alfreda Allen (1837-1921). Anson Reed was originally from
Chicago, Illinois, his wife from Sheridan, New York.When their son Daniel was born, they were
already making their home in Sheridan, a small town about 5 miles east of
Dunkirk, New York, on the shores of Lake Erie. Besides Daniel, the couple had
two other children: Alva Henry Reed (1863-1938) and William Allen Reed
(1872-1950). In the 1875 NY State Census, Daniel’s father Anson was listed as a
“sailor on lakes,” and as a “captain.”By 1880, Anson Reed he was still listed as a sailor, living with his
family in the household of his brother Henry.

Daniel
attended the public schools in Sheridan and in Silver Creek, New York, before
attending and graduating from Cornell University, in 1898 with a LL.B., where
he was a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity and the Quill and Dagger society,
while at Cornell he had a successful football career. He studied law and was
admitted to the bar in 1900 and practiced in Silver Creek and later in Dunkirk,
New York.

Besides
his career politics and the law, Daniel Alden Reed was also an American
football player and coach. The 1898 Cornell Big Red football team that
represented Cornell University during the 1898 college football season, was the
second season under head coach Pop Warner, the Big Red compiled a 10–2 record
and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 296 to 29. Three Cornell
players received honors on the 1898 College Football All-America Team: tackle
Edwin Sweetland, halfback Allen E. Whiting, and left guard Daniel A. Reed. Reed
was chosen by his team as the captain of the Cornell Eleven for the 1899
season.

After
playing football at Cornell University, Reed coached at the University of
Cincinnati, Pennsylvania State University, and his alma mater Cornell
University. From 1899 to 1900 he coached at Cincinnati, and guided the Bearcats
to an 8–6–1 record. In 1901 he was the line coach for Cornell, and then took
over as head coach for 1902. He coached at Penn State in 1903, compiling a 5–3
record. From 1910 to 1911, he was back as the head coach at Cornell, where he
led that team to a 12–5–1 record. In 1910 and 1911 Reed started something new
for the Cornell team, spring practice. His career record was 25–14–2.

Several
letters written to Reed in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s mention Reed and
his football play with Cornell.

Reed
became an attorney for the excise department of the State of New York serving from
1903 to 1909. He was one of the commissioners sent by the Government of the
United States on a special mission to France in 1917 and 1918 to study the
ongoing food shortage in preparation for a U.S. lecture tour on the importance
of food conservation. Reed was also a member of the board of directors for the
Dunkirk Trust Company, and became a popular speech maker on business and civic
topics.

Daniel
A. Reed married Georgia Tickner at Dunkirk, New York on 31 October 1905. She
was born 23 June 1883 at Versailles, New York, the daughter of Benjamin Tickner
(1851-1931) and his wife Adella Delight Ball (1855-1933). Georgia’s father was
a railroad brakeman for the Erie Railroad, working for the company for over
fifty years. He moved from Versailles to Dunkirk. Besides Georgia, the
Tickner’s had a son Benjamin Clifford (1885-1931).

Once
Reed entered politics, he split his time between his home in Dunkirk, New York
and his office in Washington, DC. He had a forty-year career as a U.S.
Congressman. The Reeds had at least two children: William Tickner Reed
(1906-1991) who married Willa Juanita Fulmer (1913-2010) and Rutha Alden Reed
(1907-1947). Georgia Tickner Reed spent most of her married life raising her
children and keeping her home in Dunkirk.

Daniel
A. Reed was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-Sixth and to the twenty
succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1919, until his death in 1959.
He was a member of the Committee on Industrial Arts and Expositions
(Sixty-Eighth Congress), Committee on Education (Sixty-Ninth through
Seventy-First Congresses), a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means
(1933-1959) and its chairman in 1953-1954. He also was a member of the Joint
Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation; chairman of the subcommittee on Social
Security in 1948; and a delegate to the Inter-parliamentary Union meeting in
Rome, Italy, in 1938, and subsequent meetings in various European cities in
1948-1950, and 1952.

During
his years in Congress, Reed was one of the most conservative members of the New
York delegation, frequently scoring zeros from Americans for Democratic Action,
and was one of the few isolationists remaining in the New York delegation after
World War II. Reed was also one of the few Republicans to consistently oppose
banning the poll tax through legislative means, although he did vote in favor
of anti-lynching legislation and the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Daniel
A. Reed died of a major heart attack in Washington, D.C., February 19, 1959. He
was buried in Sheridan Cemetery, Sheridan, New York. Reed’s wife Georgia died
in February 1968, in Washington, DC. Both of the Reeds were buried in Sheridan.

Sample Quotes:

“Big
Shanty, PA July 29th /95

Dear Cousin Dan and all,

I
have neglected to answer your last letter longer than I intended to but will
now let you know we still think of you all at home. The weather here is warm
through the day but gets most awful cold at night…We are having a nice trade
and looks like a good winter’s work ahead. The company have near 6000 cord of
bark peeled which they are now loading on the cars for shipment teams are
skidding logs to the mill the new Rail Road is completed to the mill and will
be finished in about one month. A new shingle mill is to be built right away
and we are putting up a store at the mill that will save so much team work. See
we are fully two mills from the work and talk about rough roads. I never see
such roads in my life. One could not possibly ride on a seat and ten hundred is
a big load to take in and take ½ day to make the trip there and quite a no of
new oil wells being drilled around here. Wish you could be here and see them
flow when they torpedo them it is a grand sight to see. There is an excursion
on the Erie R.R. most every Sunday from some point to the big Bridge and we get
the benefit of them all. They pass right by our house we live within 100 feet
of the Rail Road track. I have to be in the store quite a good deal Sundays.
The bark peelers take that day to come out of the woods and order their
groceries and drink cider. Guess there is nothing further for now hoping this
will find you all as well as it leaves us. Yours Resp., C.M. Gardiner”

“27
Huestis St., Nov. 6, 1897

My
dear Aunt, Uncle and Auntie,

Your
letter written on Wednesday evening just arrived and am glad you are all well…

Although
the Republicans carried our county, they lost everything in New York City and
even in Buffalo. The Democrats elected a free silver mayor.

Today
I saw the Manager and asked him if he could arrange so to let me home to spend
Sunday. He said ‘of course Reed I will do anything for you.’ I am not playing
football this week, in fact, haven’t been down to the field and I am not going
to play tomorrow unless they absolutely need me. IF I don’t play it will be the
first game, I ever saw from the ‘side lines.’ Coach Warner won’t let me play as
he and Capt. McKeever expect me to tear the Williams line all up and knock things
silly. I have made a good showing this season and have won lots of fame as a
player. Hope you will see me play at Buffalo…

Your
loving son, Dan Reed”

“Buffalo,
N.Y., Oct 11 – ‘98

Dear
Friend Dan: -

I
thought I ought to write to you before this but I neglected it until now and
after the game you put up against the Indians I must write and congratulate
you. I am glad to know you all and that you can play good football.

It
was a surprise for me to hear that you had returned to college as I thought
that you would go in to some law office and begin practical work.

Charles
and myself are in good law offices in the Ellicott Square here in Buffalo and
find lots to do and find that a fellow can go through the law school and still
needs considerable more knowledge before he knows very much about the law. I
met Barney Schwartz the other day and he said that he never thought we need
know so much to be lawyers. Big Cummings is in an office in Buffalo. So is
Foster. Barnum is in Buffalo but is not doing much in law. E.C. White expects
to score on you down there Saturday and their full back is good on goals from
the field. Be sure and stop them by a big score and take them down a peg.
Hinkey of Tonamanda is their coach and they think they will do well against
you. Don’t let them do it. The scrubs ought to defect them so don’t let the U.
of B. beat you. White will probably play right tackle.

Well
Reed hope you get along nicely with your studies and are successful in
football.

I
am, sincerely yours, D. Chalmers, 618 Ellicott Sqr., Buffalo, NY”

“68
Arlington Ave., Allegheny, PA, Nov. 21, 1898

Dear
Cousin Dan:

You
are certainly a beauty to write me such a nice letter and maybe I didn’t enjoy
it. Just as I always say Dan is the only boy. My poor little letter don’t count
much along side of fairy and Queen’s letters. But then maybe you like a change
now and then. Why Dan if you were anyone else you would have been spoiled long
ago and ben a regular fop. But you come of the good old Reed stock. As you grow
older you remind me of your Father and I was very fond of Uncle William, He was
jolly and full of fun, but he wasn’t a lawyer and football player and can’t you
file through, but it all goes in your big. Aint’ you ashamed. I think I can see
you laugh as you wrote, you would like to see Frank playing football. Well he
would be all ok, with men of his size but of course put him in with a lot of
giants like you. You would kill him. At least I think so considering what they
did to you.

Well
sir, when you come and pay us a visit you can bet on it, we will be delighted.
I wish I could see your room and see how you spend your time. Frank Cockburn
was a boy I always liked. Used to be shy like yourself. Clint was always a
model. Say you ought to have heard Carl Livermore laugh about that roast they
gave you in the Gazette in Sept. when I was at home. He has such a coarse
laugh. Are those the girls that were down at Waite’s and we drove a mile out of
our way so that Uncle Melly would not guess were down that way? Why you are going
to keep your old reputation as a heart breaker up right along. Well you can not
be an angel altogether. Don’t forget the pictures and you are the dearest boy
in all the world. Frank sends his best regards and wishes he could go to Phila.
Thursday. Bye cousin, and write again, As ever your truly, Aleda.”

“368
Potomac Ave, Buffalo, N.Y., Dec 4, 1898

Friend
Dan: -

Accept
my hearty congratulation on your being elected captain of the Cornell football
team for the year 1899.

You
do not know how surprised I was, when on reading in the morning paper your
election of captain, as the papers had never spoke of your name as a candidate.
I know it will be a most pleasant surprise to your many friends in Sheridan and
Silver Creek. Sheridan should feel quite honored in having one of their boys
elected captain of the Cornell team.

I
am taking quite an interest in football this fall playing on the high school
team and not missing a game out of nine.

I
will have to send this in care of Marcus as I do not know your address. Hoping
this will reach you soon, and as well, as it leaves me. Yours sincerely,
Raymond R. Drake”

“1002
Wilder Bldg., Rochester, N.Y., Dec 5 /98

Dear
Reed,

Have just read in one of the Rochester papers of your election as captain of
the Varsity Eleven and wish to congratulate you, old man, on your well-deserved
success. Our Finch Club is beginning to become distinguished already and we
will have athletes as well as jurists to boast of. In fact, in your case we
shall have an athletic jurist all in one. You fellows have been doing fine work
for old Cornell this season. Have noticed several comments on the game put up
by our left guard and how he deserves a place on the “All-America” Eleven. Wish
I could see him long enough to shake his paw, and perhaps get even with him for
that little joke he played on me by forging Miss Laughlin’s name.

How
goes Huffcut, Woodruff, Pound & Finch this year? You ought to be lonesome
without the rest of the F.M. Finch Club down there, but I presume you have
consoled yourself with some co-ed and never shed a tear for Hubbell, Bodine,
Howard, Lewis and the rest. I have seen all the above named and aforesaid good
men and rue this last fall.

Hubbell
was up here with a view to settlement, not of any claim, but simply in Rochester.
He has gone back to Utica. Lewis and Kingston were up here to be sworn in
before the Appellate Division on Nov 22nd. Saw Bodine in Waterloo
and Howard in Ithaca, where, by the way, I have been twice since June on flying
trips.

Am
agreeably located here in R with the firm of Perkins and Hays on the 10th
floor of the Wilder Bldg. Saw Crawford for about five minutes some time ago. He
is up to his old game of cheating the widows and the fatherless travelling.

Where
is Plin Bartlett now? Has he struck out for the bar in a lawyer’s office or is
he back in Boardman Hall working for a L.L. M.?

By
the way, have you any of those pictures of the Finch Club left. If you have, I
would like to get at least one unmounted. If you have any which I could get I
wish you could let me know the price & I will send it on. Please remember
me to Shaw if he is there, and any of the other fellows you see. Whenever you
can’t find anything else to do you might drop a line to your old classmate,
Carleton Sias”

“Buffalo,
N.Y., Dec 7 – 95

Dear
Friend Dan,

Well
Dan, old boy, you are to be congratulated on being the popular candidate and
captain of the football team for the season of ’99. I did not expect that you
would return to Cornell again but I am glad you intend to as you will hold an
enviable position there and besides the time spent there will undoubtedly be
very profitable for you. I wish you all kinds of luck with the team you will
have charge of and that you will fare better than you have this season and will
have a team worthy of your charge.

You
probably remember my younger brother who was down to Cornell last commencement
and was up in your room one day. Well he thinks you are just a dandy and he has
‘blowed’ you up all the season and the fellows in our vicinity think that ‘Big
Dan Reed’ is O.K. and that he is a peachy football player. You are that is no
lie. You fellows have had a very successful season and deserve great credit for
the brilliant games you played.

Well
winter has at last persuaded Father time to allow her to appear and w are
having a blinding snow storm and a high gale. Tuesday street cars were blocked
and I guess they will be pretty badly blocked again. I was sick Monday but am
all right again. I am in a fine corporation law office and find myself having
lots to attend to. Time passes almost too quickly and 1899 will soon be here.
Practical law is a little different from the theoretical kind we got there but
it is just as interesting and I like it better every day.

Well
Dan, I guess I’ll stop and give you a rest. I’ll write again soon provided you
are not bothered by these interruptions. Hoping your back is well and that you
are progressing in your college work.

I
am sincerely, D.D. Chalmers, 618 Ellicott Sq.”

[26
Jan 1899], Geneva, N.Y.

Mr.
Reed,

Dear
Sir,

Having
heard that you do not intend to return to Cornell College next fall, I would
suggest that you come to Hobart. Mr. Morrison said you wishing to get a degree
and I think you can get one here with a fair amount of studying. The next
question is that we are in bad need of a coach & having heard of you I
thought I would write you and see what terms I could make with you. The college
being small we cannot afford to give a coach much. If you come, you will of
course play.

We
have a bright outlook for next year. And all we need is a coach. If you will
write as soon as you receive this letter and name the condition on which you
will come. I am open to all questions and your letter will receive my immediate
attention. You will receive a letter with full circumstances when I hear from
you.

Yours
Respt., Charles S. Folger, Geneva, N.Y.

“Albany,
N.Y. Oct 22, 1904

My
dear Georgia: -

This
afternoon I attended a football game. Williams & Hamilton played in Albany
this day and having knowledge of the contest my sporting blood got the best of
me. Mr. Smith, Dick O’Brien & I went out together. We enjoyed it although
it was one sided. Williams won 23 to 0. We sat in the Hamilton stand
consequently we did but little shouting. It was an ideal day for the game. A
large crowd attended and much enthusiasm prevailed on the part of the Williams
people…

From
present indications I shall get home about Nov 2nd or third and
remain home until after election. Thus far I think I have been quite fortunate
in getting home so often.

Yesterday,
the Deputy Commissioner called me into his office and said that it was not
customary to praise any person in the Department and that he would not do so in
my case but added that my work had impressed both the Commissioner and himself
and that they both appreciated the earnestness with which I had performed my
work.

It
was quite a surprise to be thus lauded and I feel repaid for some of the extra
time I have put in…

I
suppose Rol & Hart will attend the Cornell game at Ithaca next Saturday.
Let me know by your next letter if Rol has handed any tickets for the Cornell
vs Princeton game. They may not send me any but if they do Clifford is to have
two. I sent for six of them…

I
am most sincerely yours, Dan Reed”

“Albany,
N.Y. Mar 3, 1909

Dear
Georgia & children: -

This
evening finds me alone in the Department. My head has been aching this
afternoon & I feel like going to bed soon. There is a little news that you
will be interested in & that is that I won the case in the Appellate
Division at Rochester. The decision was unanimous. I regard this case as quite
a victory and it is needless to say that I am well pleased. You might tell my folks
for they are always interested in my cases.

I
have just addressed two postal cards to the children, one to Ruth & one to
William. Do they enjoy the animal pictures & birds? William always seems to
interested in animals & birds that I thought he might like to get cards
with them on.

It
is very hard to be away but if it must be so it is better for both of us to
have it come now than later. We always have such a good time in the spring
& summer. The children ought to be less trouble this year than last,
especially Ruth will be quite well trained by summer.

They
have some fine camping baskets at Van Heusen & Charles. Some of them are
equipped for four & some for six persons. I have not priced them &
guess I shall wait until we get squared up a little more. They are very
attractive to me & I know that you would like them.

Mr.
Scott said today that he would look after the Rochester cases so I do not see
any chance of getting home this week. It is a very great disappointment to me
but I expect to have some cases near home soon.

You
don’t know how glad I was to win that Olcott Beach case. The fact is that I
think Mr. Scott thought we were quite sure to lose & for that reason he let
me argue it. He is certainly a very queer mixture of a tricks.

I
am now starting to prepare a brief in another case to be argued before the
Appellate Division in Rochester along in May.

All
this will not interest you my dear but there is little else to write about. I
am very glad you liked the cut glass bottle. It appealed to me very much at the
time.

I
wrote to Professor Rowlee today. We ought to hear from there in a few weeks
now. Somehow, I can not get over the desire of coaching one more year down
there. Perhaps it is a diversion that will always appeal to me.

This
is quite a long letter my dear considering the way I feel. A night rest may
straighten me out, at least I hope so.

It
is needless to tell you how I miss you & love you & hope for an
opportunity to get home.